Texans look to avoid big pass plays they surrendered to Ravens in regular season

The Ravens have had four pass plays this season that have gone for 50 yards or more. Two of them came in Week 6 against the Texans. Both came in the third quarter of the Texans’ 29-14 loss, and both led to Ravens scores (two Billy Cundiff field goals).

Those two passes accounted for more than a third of Joe Flacco’s 305 passing yards that day, but the Texans did have success in some instances, sacking Flacco twice in the first half and intercepting a pass while not allowing a touchdown pass. Still, the Texans can’t afford to get beat deep the way they were last time.

“We know what we’ve got to do and what our mistakes were and how to clean them up,” Texans cornerback Brice McCain said. “I think just knowing how to stop the plays they were running, that gives us a lot of confidence going in.”

McCain said the Texans are ready if the Ravens take shots down the field again.

“Every team that plays us, they want to take shots down the field, so every game we go in expecting that (the opposing team) is going to take shots,” McCain said.

Noise level likely to be factor again

As loud as it was at Reliant Stadium on Saturday in the Texans’ wild-card win over Cincinnati, they expect it to be just as loud at M&T Bank Stadium.

Baltimore is 8-0 at home this season. Texans left tackle Duane Brown said it’s challenging enough to play in that atmosphere, but he expects it to be even more charged on Sunday.

“The crowd really gets behind them,” Brown said. “We played them in the regular season, and I’m sure it’s going to be multiplied times 10, 20 now that it’s the playoffs. We just have to stay poised, communicate as much as possible, and be on the same page up front. … Once you get into those third-and-long situations, that’s when they can pin their ears back and really try to get after you.”